Undecided Title
by SerendipitousWriting
Summary: When Thyme, a squirrelmaid barely older than a Dibbun babe, finds a young female ferret on the North Path, what will become of them? And when Mortacer, an uprising warlord, discovers Marshank, the abandoned fort of the former villain Badrang, can the Abbey-dwellers help to rid the fort of villainous vermin?


Thyme grasped a basket firmly in her paw as she meandered through the forest of Mossflower. A pile of wildflowers was stacked carelessly at the bottom of the basket, and as the young squirrel swung her paw, the flowers jostled. The sun shone brightly in the bright cobalt clue sky, like a coin of gold on a swatch of blue satin. She was hardly older than a Dibbun, and the brothers and sisters of the Abbey still treated her like one, though she had lost her child-like accent, and she had grown a great-deal since her recent Dibbun-days. Thyme came upon the path that ran in front of Redwall Abbey, twisting and turning as it wound toward the Northlands. Upon it laid a ferret, of about Thyme's age. The squirrel gasped, and dropped her basket in shock. The Abbey was founded to care for all sick and injured creatures, young or old. But everybeast knew that ferrets, weasels, foxes, and rats were wicked creatures. It was a dilemma. She decided to go back to the Abbey, and find the mother Abbess and ask her about it. She took a parting glance at the ferret, a female, and realized that the creature had broken chains attached to each paw. Thyme turned, picking up her basket, and scampered up a tree, and began to swing nimbly from branch to branch. Upon arriving back at the great, wooden gates of the Abbey, Thyme called to the gatekeeper. "Beech! It's Thyme. Would you mind opening the gates for me?" The plump hedgehog waddled out of the gatehouse, and unlocked the gates, pulling one open slightly. "G'hafternoon, miss!" he greeted cheerily. "Good afternoon, Beech! Do you know where Abbess Marigold is?" Thyme replied. The gatekeeper scratched his headquills thoughtfully. "I believe she's in the Great Hall, directing the brothers as to 'ow to set up for the feast for tomorrow, but I 'hain't sure," he replied. Thyme bobbed in a curtsy and called her thanks after her as she hurried to the Great Hall.

Thyme rushed into the Great Hall, where, as Beech had said, the mother Abbess was directing the prepare the tables for the upcoming feast. The young squirrel stood timidly in the doorway. Balsam, a mouse about her age, passed Thyme, carrying a vase of flowers for the table. "Hullo, Thyme! D'ya need anything?" he said, pausing for a moment in front of her. "Hey, Balsam! When you finish with setting the flowers on the table, could you get Abbess Marigold for me?" Thyme asked. Balsam nodded, and under the supervision of the Abbess, assisted in setting the table for a moment. Thyme watched him turn to the Abbess, and say something to her, before he walked off and continued his work. The Abbess folded her paws into her sleeves and glided gracefully towards the little squirrel. "Hello, Thyme! What is it that you wanted?" she asked in her smooth, serene voice. "Mother Abbess... there's- er... perhaps you should follow me..." said the squirrelmaid. The Abbess nodded and accepted Thyme's paw and allowed herself to be guided through the corridors and rooms, and through the gates. "My child, if I may ask, what exactly are you taking me to?" she inquired. "You'll see soon!" Thyme padded quickly through the forest, and found her old paw-tracks. Following them, she led Marigold to the road. The ferret was recovering, and sitting up as they came into the clearing by the path. The Abbess looked at the ferret, who had stood up and taken on a defensive position. "Peace, child. We mean no harm. I am Abbess Marigold, and this is Thyme. We are from Redwall Abbey. We are peaceful creatures, and devote our lives to caring for the sick and injured," Marigold explained, smiling amiably. The ferret's face became confused, and she loosened her stance. "I don' care 'oo ye are, nor where ye're from!" she called, but her voice was wary. "Well perhaps you can be at least civilized and tell us your name, dear," the Abbess replied. "I don' know me name, marm..." was the murmured reply. Thyme answered benevolently, "Why don't you come back to Redwall with us, and we can find a name for you!" "Why would I want to go with the likes of ye? And besides, 'ow do I know you ain't gonna put me back in chains?" she said, gesturing to the shackles on her paws before continuing. "I wake up and ye offer me a shelter the moment I do? why should I trust ye?" the ferret spat, but the Abbey-dwellers could tell it wouldn't take much to get her to come. "How about we promise to let you stay for a few days at the Abbey, and at least get you some food and drink, and perhaps we can clean you up, and if you choose to leave, we will let you go," the Abbess said gently. The ferretmaid paused for a moment, pondering the offer. She gradually made her way toward the Redwallers, her paws inching timidly. The Abbess took her paw and held it as they returned to the Abbey, and told the newcomer about the Abbey, and the creatures who lived there. The ferret was not like others of her kind. She had been roughly treated growing up, and knew that mistreating otherbeasts was wrong, and knew how it felt. She was much more kind to others than most ferrets, and she easily was won over in an argument, because she had learned from experience that fighting back only brings you pain. She had proof of her experience in the form of scars and cuts on her face, back, and paws. She padded obediently beside the Abbey-dwellers, her face to the ground as she listened to the Abbess describing the Abbey.


End file.
